Do a land trade and the grizzly gets it (Hunting Grizzly bears in Alaska)

[The Straight Story]

Game Board gives McNeil grizzlies room to roam

SANCTUARY: Panel says hunting could be allowed on nearby state lands by 2007.

By DOUG O'HARRA
Anchorage Daily News

Published: March 11th, 2005
Last Modified: March 11th, 2005 at 04:18 AM

The Alaska Board of Game decided Thursday that brown bears won't be hunted during the next two years on state lands adjacent to the McNeil River State Game Sanctuary, temporarily settling a grizzly-sized controversy that drew thousands of impassioned comments from across the country.

But the board took several steps that could allow people to kill the salmon-eating bruins on nearby lands as soon as 2007, including one decision that cocked a bear hunt and aimed it at the National Park Service.

As in: Do a land trade or the bear gets it.

The board approved a proposal by Naknek area hunters to open chunks of state land south and southeast of the sanctuary to bear hunting, effective July 1, 2007. Board member Ron Somerville of Juneau said it would be a way to push the federal agency to start talking again with the state about trading the land for certain Katmai National Park parcels closer to Naknek, a request important to hunters in that community.

http://www.adn.com/news/alaska/story/6258006p-6134945c.html